The floristry industry has backed apprenticeships saying they have a key role to play in maintaining and improving productivity in difficult economic times.

Lantra - the sector skills council responsible for ensuring that people working in environmental and land-based industries have the right skills to work effectively - said apprenticeships can lead to improved productivity and performance for businesses where they work. Recent research has shown that 77 per cent of employers believe that apprenticeships help make them more competitive.

Dorset apprentice florist Lauren Curry has gone one step further in winning a place in the UK team in the World Skills 2009 event in Canada and becoming an apprentice at Sarah-Ann Florists in Christchurch.

Twenty-year-old Curry said:” I never imagined myself doing an apprenticeship but it is proving to be a good way of training. The apprenticeship means I will be able to run my own business one day.

“Working at the college and the shop means I can learn the practical and the day-to-day business skills of a florist and one feeds the other. It’s great that I am this young and I know what I want to do with my life.”

Lorraine Hanshaw of Sarah-Ann Florists said: “Although I am involved in training other florists and managing several shops I was a bit sceptical about the apprenticeship but now I am a convert. A young florist has to learn so much more than flowers. They have to be able to order stock and sell, especially for weddings and funerals.

“Lauren is good. She has such a passion and is willing to adapt. She goes in to college and comes back with a list of new things to do.

“There’s so much competition out there and this business is more of a profession than it was in my day. The apprenticeship will open more doors for Lauren, make her a better designer and teacher, make her more business-minded and understand the financial side.”

Liz Pridgeon, standards and qualifications development manager at Lantra, said: “Apprenticeships give businesses a practical and effective way to develop staff without the need for expensive training courses or taking time away from the work place. There is clear evidence that employers find that apprenticeships lead to a more motivated and satisfied workforce. This in turn helps to reduce staff turnover, boost productivity and leads to higher profitability.

“Employers find that apprenticeships give them the edge over their competitors and that can make a massive difference in the current economic climate."

During Apprenticeship Week 2009 Lantra is running a number of events around the country for employers to find out more about how they could benefit.

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